Year 6 students get taste of Highfields during induction days

Students due to start in Year 7 in September were given a taste of Highfields during socially distanced induction days during lockdown.

Students experienced secondary school life, taking part in typical lessons, learning how to access the school’s IT network, enjoying outdoor orientation activities and touring the building.

Induction days took place over four years to ensure students maintained social distancing rules amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Miss J Parker, Head of Lower School, said: “At Highfields we believe that starting secondary school should be a time of great excitement and anticipation of all the opportunities that lie ahead. We also realise though that some students can feel nervous about this change it is really important that they spend time getting to know the building, the layout of the school and most importantly meet their peers and some members of staff.

“We were delighted to be able to invite Year 6 students into school for a one-day induction. Due to the size of the year group and to ensure effective social distancing, students were invited in by the primary school they attend, with the induction process split to take place over four days.

“Throughout the day students were separated into smaller groups where they moved between a range of activities. These groups mirrored the ‘Bubbles’ students are in at their primary school although they were expected to maintain two metre social distancing at all times. 

“Students experienced a typical lesson where they were set some transition work based on a reading book given to them on the day. They also took part in an IT lesson where they were set up on the school IT network, given their login details to access Office 365 and learned how to use the school email system. Students also took home a pack of enrichment activities to prepare them for a really effective start in September.”

Parents would usually have been invited into school for a presentation with Headteacher, Mr G Tate, Deputy Headteacher, Mr A Cheetham and Miss Parker, but a ‘virtual’ presentation video was created instead, which can be viewed here.

Highfields proves it's got talent with live-streamed contest

Students showcased their talents to impress a panel of judges as part of the school’s first ever Highfields Got Talent competition - with viewers at home given the chance to vote for their favourite act to take the crown.

Dozens of students submitted audition videos, showing off their skills including dancing, singing, magic and sports trick shots.

The entries were whittled down to eight acts who competed in a live-streamed final on Thursday, 9th July.

Our finalists were Owen Whittle, Anna Tabner, Frankie Holden, Abigail Regan and Paige Cordingley, Jake Farley-Moss, Alex Cooper, Lily Lowery, and Rebecca Street - with Alex being named the worthy winner.

Students performed their acts from home to a panel of three judges - Mr G Tate, Mrs J Brickwood and Mrs S Jevon - as well as two special guests, Mr P Rose and Ms J Parker, as Ant and Dec.

The event was live-streamed through our YouTube channel.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, who presented the HGT final live from the Lyceum Theatre, said: “During this time of year, our students are normally preparing for a number of live performances, including the annual Summer Showcase.

“Lockdown put a stop to those events, but we still wanted to give our talented students the chance to showcase their performance skills amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were delighted to host a live HGT competition to give them the chance to do just that. 

“Our fantastic finalists each performed their acts from home, to a panel of judges in the Lyceum. The live final was the first time the judges saw any of the acts.

“As the competition was live streamed, viewers also got the opportunity to vote for their favourite act on the night. We had over 200 people tune in to watch, and we all enjoyed a great evening of entertainment and had lots of fun. 

“Alex Cooper, from Year 7 was a worthy winner. Thank you all for your support and lovely comments.”

Budding engineers praised for innovation in national project

Budding engineers have been praised for their excellence in innovation, after completing a prestigious national design project during lockdown.

Two teams of Year 12 A-Level Physics students worked with industry experts to design and present an engineering project that could be of significant use to a local engineering company.

The national scheme is run by the Engineering Development Trust, the largest provider of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) enrichment activities for UK students.

One team looked into radiation shielding methods, under the supervision of Wolverhampton-based ANSALDO Nuclear, whilst the other group developed a reservoir overflow alongside professionals from Mott Macdonald Bentley, based in Shifnal.

Both teams held weekly meetings with their engineers after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays, before travelling to Loughborough University early in the year for a two-day residential, which allowed them to start work on the building and prototype testing of their projects.

Physics Teacher, Mr A Britton, said: “The weekly meetings with company engineers continued until this year’s unfortunate Covid-19 lockdown. The meetings focused on the completion of the prototypes, producing a 40 page engineering report and also a 15-minute power point presentation. 

“After forging cross-curricular links with the EDT a few years ago, the teams completed their models using the school workshops.

“Usually in early May the teams display their models at a National Celebration and Assessment Day, where over 300 students set up stands to display their projects and make presentations assessed by a panel of judges comprising of business directors and engineers.

“Due to the circumstances this year, the teams collaborated online to successfully complete their reports under lockdown.

“The Highfields teams have now received written feedback on their reports in which the assessors commented on the excellent planning during the early stages and the professional quality of the well organised reports.”

All of the students involved have now successfully qualified for the EES Gold Industrial Cadets Awards and Gold CREST Award, which is Britain's largest national award scheme for project work in the STEM subjects.

£5k investment secured to support students' uni aspirations

Highfields has successfully secured an investment of almost £5,000 to support students’ university aspirations.

The Aspire to HE scheme is a partnership led by the University of Wolverhampton with local schools and colleges who are committed to improving access to Higher Education.

The fund was available to certain schools to encourage students to pursue their dreams of moving on to Higher Education, despite the Covid-19 lockdown.

The school has successfully applied for a year’s subscription to Unifrog, a comprehensive careers platform for all year groups. Thanks to this investment, worth £2,400, students from Years 10-12 will work on set tasks throughout the summer to move them closer towards their Higher Education goals. Unifrog will be launched to all students in the new academic year.

A further £500 has been secured on Careers in the Curriculum resources from Success for Schools, which allows teachers to incorporate careers education into their lessons.

Additionally, £2,150 has been secured for the purchase of Science and English revision guides. Codes are being emailed to all Year 10 students to be used over the summer and throughout the year to help plug gaps in knowledge and skills caused by the school closure.

Mr P Rose, Assistant Headteacher and Careers Leader, said: “We are delighted to have successfully secured this money to support our students’ Higher Education dreams.

“Students have coped admirably under the strangest of circumstances this term, but school closures have, of course, impacted on the many Careers events we would normally stage around this time of year. We want to do everything we can to provide additional support to ensure they can still reach their aspirations and Higher Education goals going forward, despite this disruption.”

Students' stunning artwork captures lockdown emotions

Talented students have captured feelings of isolation during lockdown by creating stunning artwork during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Year 11 Art students have been working on a transition task on the theme of isolation, which they will continue to develop when they return to classrooms later this year.

Some used the medium of photography to portray their feelings and emotions, whilst others used watercolours and sketches to create abstract works, including Bea Greame’s boats, which represent the concept of being alone and floating aimlessly. 

One of the students, Jack Dean, said: “My goal with the isolation art was to present a unique viewpoint into the ways we see isolation. 

“Many of the pieces were to do with complete isolation, such as the head with the prison bars, which presents being trapped within your own mind, and a skull in the ocean, which shows decay within an isolated space. 

“However, other pieces were to show how we cope, that being with the headphones, and how we tend to block out our surroundings with music when we are focusing on a task alone. 

“The purpose of these pieces was to make you think about how you see isolation, and to consider the ways in which you deal with it, or try to stay isolated as little as you can, talking to others and enjoying the company of friends and family.”

Rachael Flavell said: “I decided to link land and seascapes to emotions possibly felt during lockdown as people become more isolated. I focused on anger looking at just the nose and mouth area of the face using pencil and comparing it to a stormy sea, done using acrylic paint and coloured pencils.”

Art teacher, Ms P Thomson, said: “The responses were varied and interesting, provoking some very poignant images based on personal experiences of lockdown.  

“The students are hoping to further develop their work when they return in Year 12 as they continue studies in A-Level Art.”

Highfields turned red to shine light on Arts industry crisis

Highfields was turned red to shine a light on the crisis faced by the performing arts industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The school was lit up as part of the Light It In Red campaign, which was launched to draw attention to the challenges facing venues in the live events, arts, theatre and music industry. 

Companies, venues and organisations were encouraged to light buildings in red to symbolise the 'red alert' level the industry is under due to restrictions on large-scale events.

The government announced a £1.57billion support package this week after weeks of crisis talks, but the emergency fund will not be able to save every venue.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, said: “We were proud to participate in the Light It In Red project to draw attention to the crisis facing the Arts industry.

“With venues closed, nobody is making any money and so some production companies, event support companies, hire companies, venues and freelance staff are under threat.

“The government’s recent announcement has been a very welcome one, but the situation is still concerning.

“As a school, we pride ourselves on nurturing the talents of our young performers, providing students of every ability with the opportunity to take part in a range of activities, workshops, trips and live performances.

“We see that programme as a vital complement to the curriculum, helping to develop well-rounded, socially skilled and confident students, which is why the Arts are so important.

“As we form part of the fabric of Arts across the country, we were delighted to support this campaign.”

The school has embraced the challenge of getting creative during the ‘new normal’, by staging the Lockdown Live Lounge concert, starring Beverley Knight, and the first ever live-streamed Highfields Got Talent contest.  Ms Bishop and her team are now looking at ways of launching the school’s next musical production with social distancing measures.

Students set to wow in Highfields Got Talent contest

Students will be showcasing their talents to impress a panel of judges as part of the school’s first ever Highfields Got Talent competition - with viewers at home given the chance to vote for their favourite act to take the crown.

Dozens of students submitted audition videos over the past two weeks, showing off their skills including dancing, singing, magic and sports trick shots.

The entries have now been whittled down to eight acts who will compete in a live-streamed final on Thursday, 9th July.

Our finalists are Owen Whittle, Anna Tabner, Frankie Holden, Abigail Regan and Paige Cordingley, Jake Farley-Moss, Alex Cooper, Lily Lowery, and Rebecca Street.

Students will perform their acts from home to a panel of three judges - Mr G Tate, Mrs J Brickwood and Mrs S Jevon - as well as two special guests, Mr P Rose and Ms J Parker, as Ant and Dec.

The event will be live streamed on our YouTube channel from 7pm.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, who will be presenting the HGT final live from the Lyceum Theatre, said: “During this time of year, our students are normally preparing for a number of live performances, including the annual Summer Showcase.

“Lockdown has put a stop to those events, but we still wanted to give our talented students the chance to showcase their performance skills amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are delighted to be hosting a live HGT competition to give them the chance to do just that. 

“Our fantastic finalists will each perform their acts from home, to a panel of judges in the Lyceum. It is the first time the judges will see any of the acts.

“As the competition is being live streamed, viewers will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite act on the night.

“We are looking forward to another evening of top quality entertainment. Good luck to all of our talented finalists!”

To tune in to the HGT final, click here.

Sporting talent to be honoured during virtual PE Legacy Awards

Highfields will be celebrating sporting talent during lockdown with a live-streamed virtual awards ceremony. 

This year marks the 4th annual PE Legacy Awards, which are held to celebrate the efforts and achievements of the school’s sporty students over the past academic year.

The virtual PE Legacy Awards will take place from 7pm on Wednesday 15th July. You can watch LIVE on our YouTube channel.

A total of 208 students have been nominated in a range of categories linked to the school’s curriculum, including Captain/Leadership & Coaching, Effort & Attitude, Most Improved and Elite. Awards will also be given out for Sports Person of the Year in each year group, as well as Dancer of the Year (for KS3 and KS4), KS5 Contribution Award and Sports Team of the Year. 

Head of PE, Mr C Brickwood, said: “We host the PE Legacy Awards annually to celebrate the sporting achievements of our students, and we did not want them to miss out this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This has been a strange term, but our students had already achieved so much in a range of sporting disciplines before lockdown, and it is important that we celebrate this, even if we can not host the ceremony as we normally would.

“We are overwhelmed with superb commitment, strong leadership and outstanding personal performances at Highfields, and we are looking forward to honouring the individuals and teams who help the school maintain such a successful sports record. 

“Congratulations to all of our nominees.”

Class of 2020 bid farewell as hundreds tune in for live-streamed Leavers Assembly

Year 11 students bid a fond farewell to school life during lockdown when they tuned in for a live-streamed virtual leavers assembly.

More than 200 students and members of staff took part in the assembly, celebrating their time at Highfields as they prepare to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Funny stories were shared, montages of photographs documenting students’ time at Highfields - from their Year 6 Induction through to Year 11 - were shown, and more than 100 awards were handed out as part of the celebrations to honour special achievements and efforts.

Other novel awards included: ‘most likely to become Prime Minister’, ‘most likely to win a Nobel Prize’, ‘most likely to still be friends at 60’, ’most likely to win the lottery and lose the ticket’ and ‘most likely to be a reality TV star in future’.

The award for ‘most hardworking student’ was voted for by students, and won by Ellie Corbett.

The event was organised by Head of Upper School, Mr D Treble, Year 11 Manager, Mrs C Meese, Raising Achievement Manager, Mr C Rhodes, and Academic Guidance Manager, Mrs B Harrison.

Mr Rhodes said: “This has been the strangest term any of us can remember, but especially so for our students in Year 11 who had been working so hard towards their GCSE exams.

“Coronavirus has obviously disrupted examinations, but we wanted to make sure students still got a proper send off, even if we could not organise a face-to-face event.

“We had over 200 staff and Year 11 students tune in live, with over 100 awards presented on the hottest day of the year thus far!

“The assembly featured awards, funny stories of their time with us and an abundance of pictures right back to their Year 6 Induction with us. 

“Students were presented with certificates and awards that ranged from a water pistol to medal to chocolate brownie. 

“It has been a pleasure to see the students mature, grow and develop into such confident, talented and skilled young adults, and this assembly was a real celebration of their time at Highfields as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”

The virtual assembly was held weeks after students signed shirts for classmates before schools shut amid the pandemic in March. They will all receive a recorded copy of the event so they are able to reminiscence in years to come. 

Young journalists launch lockdown podcast

Budding journalists from Highfields are making the most of their time in lockdown by launching a podcast discussing news and current affairs.

The school’s ever-expanding team of reporters will be exploring a range of topics, starting with how they’ve coped with life in lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highfields’ Young Journalists project began back in 2016 with the launch of termly newspaper, The H. More than 30 students have showcased their journalistic talents as part of the editorial team, creating engaging features and opinion pieces covering a broad range of social and political topics.

In 2017, the journalistic ambitions of the team saw the successful launch of the school's very own news channel, HTV, producing a weekly episode featuring news and sports stories from across the school.

Members of the team are now regrouping to host a series of podcasts. Students will meet at the start of each week via Microsoft Teams to discuss and plan their podcast sessions before they are recorded and edited by English teacher, Miss T Banks, and uploaded to the school's YouTube Channel. 

Each series will contain five 30-45 minute podcasts that will be published fortnightly. 

For the first episode, our talented team welcomed Head of Sixth Form, Mr S Pycroft, and MFL teacher, Mrs A Darby, to discuss how they've found life in lockdown so far.

All podcasts will be available through our new Media Hub, along with all editions of the school’s newspaper, The H.

To listen to our first lockdown podcast, click the image below: